Radiology tech loves his work: Mike always has a smile on his face’

Wednesday

Nov 28, 2007 at 12:01 AMNov 28, 2007 at 12:03 AM

Local longtime radiology technologist enjoys work.

Rick Rogers

Michael Cashel enjoys working with people. And it’s that love of helping others that has kept Cashel working as a senior staff technologist in the radiology department at Freeman Neosho Hospital, and before that Sale Hospital, since 1971.

His medical career began a year or two before at St. John’s in Springfield.

“I have always liked working at a smaller hospital,” Cashel said. “You have more time to be patient oriented. It is nice to be able to see the patients, and they know you and you know them. A hospital situation can be really scary if a person is not familiar with it, and to have a familiar face helps. I feel I can do more of that at a smaller hospital, than a bigger hospital.

“Here, at Neosho, you have an older community, and people tend to be scared of a larger institution, and (at Freeman Neosho) it is a little more user-friendly and people are more accepting of us.”

And his supervisors notice Cashel’s personal pride he takes in his job.

“When I walk through the radiology department, Mike always has a smile on his face,” said Daxton Holcomb, chief operating officer with Freeman Neosho. “He is always very polite, and when I see him interact with patients it is always the way I would want to be treated, and have my family treated.”

Cashel, 59, said the challenge as a senior staff technologist is keeping up with the ever-changing technology. The radiology department at Freeman Neosho does approximately 2,200 to 2,500 procedures per month.

“You look back and wonder how we did the things we did,” Cashel said. “It was so barbaric, but that was the only means we had 25 years ago. We didn’t have CT and ultrasounds — it was just pretty much X-ray work. It’s challenging, especially at my age now, but it is also so much more beneficial and it is so much easier for the patient. It is such advancement in all phases. Every year or two, you have new equipment and upgrades.”

Cashel currently does CAT scans, but no longer does ultrasounds. He takes patients to and from their rooms, and helps the radiologists set up the rooms when needed.

“It is mostly patient care,” Cashel said. “It is being able to make the patient feel comfortable, and explain the procedure before it gets started. I enjoy people. I always have. It is something that I have always enjoyed, since I was in high school starting in this field. I enjoy having a connection with other people. If I hadn’t, I would have been here 35 years.”

Cashel used to manage the radiology department but decided years ago that he couldn’t do justice to both the paperwork involved with being a manager, and wanting to give good patient care.

Being the people person he is, Cashel chose working in patient care.

“Freeman was kind enough to let me chose what I wanted to do, and they let me go back to the patient care side,” he said. “I don’t like pushing papers.”

Cashel said he plans to “phase himself out” in the next three to five years. He looks fit at the age of 59, and works out regularly. His other secret to his health, “maybe it’s all the radiation,” he said with a laugh.

Neosho Daily News

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